A/N: Hello! Slowly trying to get back into this whole writing thing, and though I wasn't going to participate in any week to focus more on my WIPs and different writing, I made the mistake of looking at the #OQOnHolidaysWeek prompts and then looking at the button and omg I just couldn't pass on the opportunity of writing for it (more like, trying to). So. Just something super short!

Day 1 (Monday) of OQOnHolidaysWeek

Prompt #8: On a family vacation, OQ family finds an abandoned puppy on a beach. Roland and Henry try to convince their parents to keep it and take it back home.

Rated: K


Regina can handle puppy dog eyes, has become almost immune to it thanks to motherhood. But when it comes to an actual puppy, an actual living breathing furry puppy with caramel eyes and big paws, Regina's heart stutters, softens and she almost finds herself reaching to grab the puppy, pet him and let him lick her face as their kids go back to playing volleyball in the sand, just like they were before this cute little ball of fluff came out of nowhere (no tag, collar, nothing).

The culprit of her… dilemma, yawns in her oldest son's arms, pink tongue peeking out as it lets out a soft whine, and Regina finds herself almost giving in.

Almost

Instead she catches herself, forces the hand that's itching to reach for the pup to land on her abdomen, caressing the soft curve of it as she turns to face her husband, biting her lower lip because Henry is already obsessed with the dog and Roland is already calling him Chewbacca. But then she almost laughs at Robin, at that look firmly set on his face because he's long sold on the idea, more so on the name Roland has picked for the pup. And though he doesn't admit it to the kids, he looks at her almost pleadingly, begging her to for the love of God say yes, before leaning in closer and whispering all sort of promises to her ear.

We'll clean all the mess.

We'll train him.

You'll get the final word on his name.

Him.

It's a he.

A dog that will more than likely grow at least four times in size, a dog that will more than likely come out with an extra playful, extra energetic, extra demanding strike.

She sees it in the pup's eyes. Those soft caramel eyes that hold the promise of turning a more orange hue as time passes. Sees the mischief in there. Sees him destroying a couch, a rug. Hears him barking in the middle of the night just because he wants a treat. Sees herself tripping with the force of his paws, or his body as he rushes past her, barging into the house with dirty paws and slobber and excitement.

She sees it.

Sees the mess, sees the laughter, sees Robin trying to give him a bath only to have him run around the house, leaving suds and wet patches in his wake. Sees the kids sleeping with him, his body almost too big to fit in Roland's bed. But then she also sees him behaving quietly around their still unborn baby. Sees him sniffing and licking her belly as the baby inside moves. Sees him laying still, oh so still in the middle of the living room as their daughter pets him and hugs him and falls on him on unsteady legs.

"Please mom!" The youngest yells for the umpteenth time, leaning closer to the pup in Henry's arms and dropping a kiss atop his head, knowing that now it's his mother he should convince, because Robin is already petting him, talking to him in that sweet baby voice of his.

"We'll take care of all the messes! We'll feed him strictly dog food and take him on walks every day. We'll bathe him and dry him and if you don't want him inside the house then we'll build him a nice big comfortable dog house outside. Dad will help I just know it. Please mom," Henry throws in almost desperately, his eyes pleading.

Suddenly Roland gets on his knees now, chuckling as he quickly says Please please please please please without stopping for a breath, a begging look on his face. And the sight is hilarious to say the least, has her laughing and pulling the five year old up by the arms as she comments how much of a silly monkey he is. But then the boys, including her husband, keep firing away reasons after reasons, promises after promises while the dog dozes off peacefully in Henry's arms.

Almost on cue, the baby moves in her belly, as if she wanted to take part in convincing her mother.

As if Regina needed any more convincing.

And when she looks at Robin again, Robin chuckles and drops a kiss and then another to the top of her head.

"I'll work out the details," he says as the kids rejoice and take turns petting the newest addition to their family.

And if a few years later Regina finds a toddler Rosie sleeping next to a very quiet very still eighty pound dog on a rug that's missing a huge chunk, she'll only smile and gratefully think back on the day her children and her husband convinced her to give loving energetic Chewie a home.